Renee Gasch
[email protected] | (608) 448-6432 ext. 208
Renee (she/her) works to raise the profile of agroforestry and the Savanna Institute through media, outreach, and education. From a farming family in Northeast Wisconsin, Renee spent her youth active in 4-H and FFA showing dairy cattle at county and state fairs. She earned her Journalism degree from UW-Madison and a Masters in Cultural Anthropology from the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco. She has 20-years of experience leading communications at a diverse mix of organizations, from mission-driven nonprofits and museums to politicians and celebrities to Fortune 500 companies. For the past decade, Renee has led communications for documentary films as a consultant for the national PBS series Independent Lens. A life-long social justice activist, Renee’s passion is in culturally responsive education and integrating equity into social system design. In her free time, you can find her working for social change as a local election volunteer and on her city’s sustainability commission.
Resources by Renee Gasch
Rethinking Food Systems at the 2024 Perennial Farm Gathering
Thank you for joining us in Spring Green and Madison, Wisconsin in October! To gather in person for the first time in five years at the Perennial Farm Gathering was
PFG2023 Recordings Now Available for Free on YouTube
John Hendrickson is a former vegetable farmer and a professional spreadsheet wizard. He even showed up to record an interview for the Perennial AF podcast wearing a special hat that said “Spreadsheets” across the front! John has developed a series of Excel-based tools to help farmers understand the financial viability of their various on-farm enterprises, including the Fruit and Nut Compass, which was developed in partnership with the Savanna Institute.
6 Research Papers Published by Savanna Institute Scientists in 2023
To advance the field of agroforestry research, Savanna Institute staff collaborate with scientists worldwide to study tree crops and perennial farm systems. Our researchers work to make sure Midwest farmers and landholders have access to the latest information available to plan their farms. In 2023, staff from our research and commercialization teams contributed thought leadership on hazelnut genetics, chestnut value chains, and soil science for academic journals in the field – all to guide the development of perennial agriculture in the US.
The Savanna Institute launches Tree Crop Improvement Program to boost Midwestern farm profitability, sustainability
Spring Green, WI — The Savanna Institute, the Grantham Environmental Trust, and the Matthew Zell Family Foundation announced today the launch of a Tree Crop Improvement Program to develop varieties of key nut, fruit, and timber crops for farmers and their markets.
“Fearless Farm Finances” with Paul Dietmann and The Cutting Edge Podcast
For this episode of Perennial AF, I joined forces with another podcast, also about perennial agriculture and also based in Madison, Wisconsin. The Cutting Edge Podcast is put out by the UW Madison Division of Extension Emerging Crops Program.
Savanna Institute’s Response to the IPCC Climate Report
The Savanna Institute and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced today plans to develop a statewide agroforestry demonstration farm network in Wisconsin where farmers can see examples of how to integrate trees successfully on farms for conservation and for profit.